


Truth

by prairiecrow



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-23
Updated: 2011-10-23
Packaged: 2017-10-24 21:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/268280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prairiecrow/pseuds/prairiecrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Julian Bashir doesn’t understand why he cares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truth

**Author's Note:**

> (1) Set during "The Wire". (2) A friendship fic, although if you put on the slash goggles...

Julian Bashir doesn’t understand why he cares as much as he does.

Yes, Garak is dying: the malfunctioning Obsidian Order implant in his brain is slowly killing him. As a doctor Bashir regards him with a physician’s concern for a recalcitrant and challenging patient. This is part of his psychological makeup, and to be expected: a healer who doesn’t feel empathy for those he treats usually isn’t very good at his job.

But Garak has also lied to him at least twice now, and the story he’s just told about betraying a friend named Elim may well be a third deliberate falsehood, each one spun out so earnestly and convincingly that Bashir fell for the first two without a qualm. He’s much less certain about this story, and he’s told Garak as much. He’s almost given up on ever hearing the truth from those clever grey lips. He’s seen what Garak’s capable of, been berated and screamed at and physically attacked. Some of his illusions, at least, have been shattered.

Under the circumstances he shouldn’t feel like this: emotionally connected to a man who was probably a ruthless murderer in a past life, and willing to risk a Federation shuttlecraft and his own life to obtain the information that could spare the Cardassian a painful death. It makes no sense.

But when Garak asks for forgiveness and holds out his hand, Bashir takes it. He tells Garak that he forgives him, for whatever it is he’s done. And when Garak falls asleep, evidently granted peace by Bashir’s words, Bashir sets off for that shuttlecraft to seek out the former head of the Obsidian Order and bargain for his friend’s life.

He doesn’t understand it, but in the end his bond with Garak is simply... true. And that’s all that matters.

THE END


End file.
